Aaron's Rod eBook

“What do I call the common good?” repeated
the landlady. “That all people should
study the welfare of other people, and not only their
own.”

“They are not to study their own welfare?”
said the doctor.

“Ah, that I did not say,” replied the
landlady. “Let them study their own welfare,
and that of others also.”

“Well then,” said the doctor, “what
is the welfare of a collier?”

“The welfare of a collier,” said the landlady,
“is that he shall earn sufficient wages to keep
himself and his family comfortable, to educate his
children, and to educate himself; for that is what
he wants, education.”

“Ay, happen so,” put in Brewitt, a big,
fine, good-humoured collier. “Happen so,
Mrs. Houseley. But what if you haven’t
got much education, to speak of?”

“You can always get it,” she said patronizing.

“Nay—­I’m blest if you can.
It’s no use tryin’ to educate a man over
forty—­not by book-learning. That isn’t
saying he’s a fool, neither.”

“And what better is them that’s got education?”
put in another man. “What better is the
manager, or th’ under-manager, than we are?—­
Pender’s yaller enough i’ th’ face.”

“He is that,” assented the men in chorus.

“But because he’s yellow in the face,
as you say, Mr. Kirk,” said the landlady largely,
“that doesn’t mean he has no advantages
higher than what you have got.”

“Ay,” said Kirk. “He can ma’e
more money than I can—­that’s about
a’ as it comes to.”

“He can make more money,” said the landlady.
“And when he’s made it, he knows better
how to use it.”

“‘Appen so, an’ a’!—­What
does he do, more than eat and drink and work?—­an’
take it out of hisself a sight harder than I do, by
th’ looks of him.—­What’s it
matter, if he eats a bit more or drinks a bit more—­”

“No,” reiterated the landlady. “He
not only eats and drinks. He can read, and he
can converse.”

“Me an’ a’,” said Tom Kirk,
and the men burst into a laugh. “I can
read—­an’ I’ve had many a talk
an’ conversation with you in this house, Mrs.
Houseley—­am havin’ one at this minute,
seemingly.”

“Seemingly, you are,” said the landlady
ironically. “But do you think there would
be no difference between your conversation, and Mr.
Pender’s, if he were here so that I could enjoy
his conversation?”

“An’ what difference would there be?”
asked Tom Kirk. “He’d go home to
his bed just the same.”

“There, you are mistaken. He would be
the better, and so should I, a great deal better,
for a little genuine conversation.”

“If it’s conversation as ma’es his
behind drop—­” said Tom Kirk.
“An’ puts th’ bile in his face—­”
said Brewitt. There was a general laugh.

“I can see it’s no use talking about it
any further,” said the landlady, lifting her
head dangerously.

“But look here, Mrs. Houseley, do you really
think it makes much difference to a man, whether he
can hold a serious conversation or not?” asked
the doctor.